Night had fallen, and though the city streets still buzzed with traffic and people, a chilling piece of news brought everything to a sudden halt. Recently, several women had died one after another after using the same brand of perfume. The cause of death was initially unclear—none of the victims showed visible external injuries, yet all had signs of severe poisoning. What was once a pleasant fragrance had turned into a prelude to death.
The case quickly caught widespread attention from the media and the public. As the number of victims rose, the situation became increasingly serious. Upon receiving the case, Su Wanqing immediately headed to the home of one of the deceased. The victim, Li Lin, was a young fashion influencer known for sharing her makeup and perfume reviews online. Her sudden death sparked public panic. The lack of physical wounds and the mysterious cause of death left the police puzzled.
Upon arriving at the scene, Su Wanqing began a meticulous examination. She first observed the condition of the body. Li Lin had collapsed in front of her vanity, where several perfume bottles lay scattered. One of the bottles had a loose cap, as if it had just been used. Su Wanqing carefully inspected the bottle, noting slight scuff marks on the surface but no visible damage. She gently pulled back Li Lin's collar to check her neck, finding no signs of trauma.
Taking a deep breath, Su Wanqing focused on the victim's face and other parts of her body. She noticed that Li Lin's lips and fingernails had turned a bluish-purple—an obvious sign of hypoxia. She pulled out a portable testing device and examined the perfume bottles on the table. The scent still lingered strongly in the air, but the device reacted sharply, detecting a deadly compound commonly found in chemical poisons: cyanide.
"Poisoned," Su Wanqing muttered softly, a wave of alertness rising within her.
A few days later, Su Wanqing and Lu Chenzhou reviewed the autopsy report. The forensic team confirmed the poisoning. Li Lin had an extremely high concentration of toxins in her system, indicating she had used the perfume shortly before her death. Even more chilling was that other autopsy reports showed the same toxin in all the victims—each had collapsed suddenly after using the same perfume, dying from asphyxiation caused by the poison.
Oddly, the cases had no apparent motives. The perfume in question was produced by a popular brand called "Feya," which had gained a strong following in recent years for its fresh, unique scents. Within days, similar reports continued to pour in. Victims were no longer limited to young women—several middle-aged women had also died after using the same perfume.
"The perfume was poisoned," Su Wanqing said gravely. "This is an extremely cold-blooded method of murder."
"But who would do such a thing?" Lu Chenzhou frowned, deep in thought. "The perfume brand doesn't seem to have any obvious enemies. Could it be an inside job?"
Su Wanqing shook her head. "Unlikely. From what we can tell, the poison wasn't targeting specific individuals. It was distributed through a widely used product. This isn't personal—it's planned. Someone is trying to incite mass panic, perhaps even destroy the brand's reputation."
They decided to begin their investigation at the Feya headquarters. There, they learned about the perfume's production and quality control processes. The formulas and procedures were relatively complex, yet no major flaws were immediately evident. However, as they dug deeper, Lu Chenzhou noticed something unusual: a large-scale production adjustment had taken place months ago. On the surface, it was aimed at improving quality, but it also introduced hidden risks.
Lu Chenzhou discovered that several employees responsible for quality checks had suddenly resigned around that time. One former employee stood out—Wang Kai, a chemical engineer with a strong reputation in the perfume industry. He had quit without explanation, and alarmingly, he had close ties to one of Feya's biggest competitors.
Further investigation revealed that Wang Kai was now working for "Elisa," a rival brand known for targeting the high-end market. Elisa had been aggressively trying to overtake Feya in recent years. Wang Kai's background made the link between him and the perfume crisis increasingly suspicious.
Su Wanqing quickly deduced that this was not a simple case of business rivalry—it was a carefully orchestrated act of commercial revenge. Wang Kai, once employed at Feya, knew its production processes intimately. It was entirely possible that he had altered the formula to include toxic compounds, leading to fatal consequences.
Digging deeper, the duo discovered that Wang Kai had once worked closely with Yang Xue, a senior executive at Feya. The two had even shared a secret relationship. Recently, Yang Xue had come under immense pressure within the company, especially as sales declined. She had begun to lose the trust of upper management and was desperate for a "successful" move to reclaim her standing. Orchestrating a devastating blow to Feya through sabotage seemed like a fast track to achieving that.
After several twists and turns, Su Wanqing and Lu Chenzhou finally uncovered the crucial evidence proving Wang Kai and Yang Xue had colluded. Wang Kai had laced the perfume with poison in an attempt to destroy Feya's reputation, allowing Elisa to take over the market at a lower cost. Meanwhile, Yang Xue had manipulated internal resources, ensuring the plan would go through smoothly.
In the end, the police arrested both Wang Kai and Yang Xue, with all evidence pointing to their conspiracy. Wang Kai's motive was revenge against his former employer, while Yang Xue was driven by selfish ambition. Both were brought to justice and received severe punishment.
Once the truth was revealed, public trust in the perfume industry was severely shaken. Consumers fled from affected brands, plunging the entire industry into an unprecedented crisis. Although the situation gradually settled, Su Wanqing could not ease the weight on her heart. This case once again exposed the darkest depths of human nature—how far people were willing to go, destroying everything in their path for the sake of money and power.